The invention relates generally to network security, and more specifically to secure message and file transfers across public networks without being encumbered by firewalls and other network barriers. It uses standard encryption algorithms to minimize the threat of unauthorized file and message access, and an open-pull protocol that allows target network nodes to pull and verify the credentials of a requestor prior to the passing of any data.
The need for providing and accessing information throughout small and large enterprise organizations spawned rapid a growth in intranets and extranets to satisfy these organizational communications requirements. With the rapid growth of the Internet as a public network communication medium, organizations found substantial cost savings by using the Internet as an worldwide vehicle for providing and accessing organizational information. The result was a shift from closed and protected to open and less secure, open information infrastructure. Gateways were provided to connect existing private networks to the Internet to replace many private dedicated networks providing access to disparate parts of the world. It is not unusual in today's business environment to have multiple computer workstations and servers interconnected by complex and widely dispersed communications networks. These communications networks are critical to many businesses that rely on these information networks to provide services for the day-to-day operation of their enterprises.
With the growth of these communications networks came an increase in incidences of unauthorized access to these networks by individuals and software programs for accessing confidential information and causing disruptions or irreparable harm to these informational networks. These intrusions, oftentimes resulting in economic losses, have created a demand for means for detecting and preventing malicious and unauthorized access to these networks by users and organizations that seek-to find and exploit the smallest security hole. In addition to enterprises instituting safeguards to prevent harm caused to business enterprises and individuals, the government has instituted regulations to protect the privacy of information on individuals that may be available on these information networks.
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires financial institutions and financial services companies to comply with stringent privacy and security standards. The health care market has similar legislation called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). While the details of HIPAA are still being completed, it will clearly establish uniform information security standards for health care organizations. Since the late 1980s, the government agencies have been under legislative pressure to secure networked systems. Emerging homeland defense initiatives will add additional and enforceable network security requirements to the government agencies.
In response to unauthorized intrusions into informational networks, various protective measures have been implemented to eliminate or reduce intrusion incidences. Some of these measures include Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) encryption, S/MIME Email security, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 128 bit encryption, Virtual Private Network (VPN), firewalls, and vulnerability scanners. Some of these network protection schemes may work at cross-purposes to one another by inhibiting other protection schemes from operating effectively. For example, a firewall may inhibit a vulnerability scanner form assessing the intrusion vulnerability of a system protected by the firewall.
Network vulnerability scanners have been used to perform network vulnerability evaluations by scanning network nodes for detection of open ports and vulnerabilities to unauthorized access. Since much of the data collected by network scanners is considered to be confidential, a secure means is required for transmitting the collected data over the network. These scanners need to do more than send and receive data over a network. They must also offer network services that facilitate receiving and transmitting remote commands to nodes within a network that are unencumbered by intervening network barriers. An embodiment of a network vulnerability scanner that satisfies these requirements is disclosed in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/376,489, filed on Apr. 30, 2002, and incorporated herein by reference. However, the solution to this requirement lends itself to solutions of other problem sets. It is also desirable that the solution provides network support for multiple missions of multiple clients and related subgroups.